Lincoln cent

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Lincoln cent is the current one cent coin used in the United States. It was adopted in 1909, replacing the Indian head cent; its obverse, featuring a bust of Abraham Lincoln, has been in continuous usage, while its reverse was changed in 1959 to its current design which includes the Lincoln Memorial. There are more one-cent coins produced than any other denomination, which makes the Lincoln cent a familiar item. In its life span, this coin has weathered two world conflicts, one of which changed it materially, because metals play a vital part in any war effort.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Obverse design 1.2 Reverse design 1.3 Composition 2 Upcoming changes to the Lincoln cent 3 Mint errors specific to Lincoln cents 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History

This section details compositional and design-related changes in the history of the Lincoln cent design of the United States cent.

[edit] Obverse design

When the Lincoln one-cent coin made its initial appearance in 1909, it marked a radical departure from the accepted styling of United States coins, as it was the first regular coin to bear a portrait other than the mythical Liberty, which appeared on most pre-1909 regular coins. (Even the so-called "Indian Head" of the Indian Head cent it replaced was Liberty depicted as a Native American; the same concept was later used for the Sacagawea dollar since there are no known portraits of Sacagawea.) Previously, a strong feeling had prevailed against using portraits on coins in the United States, but public sentiment stemming from the 100th anniversary celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birth proved stronger than the long-standing prejudice.

A variety of privately-minted tokens bearing Lincoln's image circulated as one cent pieces during Lincoln's presidency; legitimate coinage had become scarce during the Civil War. These early tokens undoubtedly influenced the denomination, appearance, size, and composition of Lincoln cents.

The only person invited to participate in the formulation of the new design was Victor David Brenner. President Theodore Roosevelt was so impressed with the sculptor's talents that Brenner was singled out by the President for the commission. The likeness of President Lincoln on the obverse of the coin is an adaptation of a plaque Brenner executed several years earlier which had come to the attention of President Roosevelt.

In addition to the prescribed elements on our coins -- LIBERTY and the date -- the motto In God We Trust appeared for the first time on a coin of this denomination. Of interest also is the fact that the United States Congress passed the Act of March 3, 1865, authorizing the use of this motto on U.S. coins during Lincoln's tenure in office.

Even though no legislation was required for the new design, approval of the Secretary of the Treasury was necessary to make the change. Franklin MacVeagh gave his approval on July 14, 1909, and not quite three weeks later, on August 2, 1909, the new coin was released to the public.

In 1918, after the controversy over Brenner's name and initials on the reverse had died down, his initials were placed on the obverse with no further controversy. They are to be found in minute form on the rim, just under the shoulder of Lincoln.

[edit] Reverse design

A study of three models for the coin's reverse resulted in the approval of a very simple design bearing two wheatheads in memorial style. Between these, in the center of the coin, are the denomination and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, while curving around the upper border is the national motto, E Pluribus Unum, which means "One out of Many."

The original model bore Brenner's name on the reverse, curving along the rim below UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Before the coins were issued, however, the initials "VDB" were substituted because officials at the United States Mint felt the name was too prominent. After the coin was released, many protested that even the initials were conspicuous and detracted from the design. It has also been claimed that some thought the "VD" stood for "venereal disease", then a common but taboo term for sexually transmitted diseases; though few if any records support that idea, the taboo itself might have inhibited any mention of it in records of that time. Because the coin was in great demand, and due to the fact that to make a change would have required halting production, the decision was made to eliminate the initials entirely.

Thus in 1909 the U.S. had six different pennies: the 1909 and 1909-S Indian Head cents, and four Lincoln coins: 1909 VDB, 1909-S VDB, 1909 and 1909-S. In all cases the Philadelphia mintages far exceeded the San Francisco issues. While the smallest mintage is the '09-S Indian, the '09-S VDB is the key Lincoln date, and hence is most valuable. Its mintage of 484,000 is only 1.7% of the plain VDB.

On February 12, 1959, a revised reverse design was introduced as part of the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. No formal competition was held. Frank Gasparro, then Assistant Engraver at the Philadelphia Mint, prepared the winning entry, selected from a group of 23 models that the engraving staff at the Mint had been asked to present for consideration. Again, only the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury was necessary to make the change because the design had been in use for more than the required 25 years.

The imposing marble Lincoln Memorial provides the central motif, with the legends E Pluribus Unum and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA completing the design, together with the denomination. The initials "FG" appear on the right, near the shrubbery. In his treatise Theory and Practise of Numismatic Design, Steve Crooks states that because the Lincoln Memorial is shown in sufficient detail to discern the statue of Lincoln on the reverse of the penny, Abraham Lincoln was the only person to be depicted on both the obverse and reverse of the same United States coin, up until the release of New Jersey state quarter in 1999, which depicts George Washington crossing the Delaware River on the reverse side.

[edit] Composition

At the time of World War II, the one-cent coin was composed of 95% copper and 5% zinc. These metals were denied to the Mint for the duration of the war, making it necessary for the Mint to seek a substitute material. After much deliberation, even including consideration of plastics, zinc-coated steel was chosen as the best in a limited range of suitable materials.

Production of the war-time cent was provided for in an Act of Congress approved on December 18, 1942, which also set as the expiration date of the authority December 31, 1946. Low-grade carbon steel formed the base of these coins, to which a zinc coating 0.005 inch (0.127 millimeter) thick was deposited on each side electrolytically as a rust preventative. The same size was maintained, but the weight was reduced from the standard 48 grains to 42 grains (3.1 g to 2.7 g, due to the use of a lighter alloy. Production commenced on February 27, 1943, and by December 31, 1943, the three Mint facilities had produced 1,093,838,670 of the one-cent coins. The copper released for the war effort was enough to meet the combined needs of 2 cruisers, 2 destroyers, 1,243 flying fortresses, 120 field guns and 120 howitzers, or enough for 1.25 million shells for large field guns.^{[citation needed]}

On January 1, 1944, the Mint was able to adopt a modified alloy, the supply being derived from expended shell casing which, when melted, furnished a composition similar to the original, but with a faint trace of tin. The original weight of 48 grains (3.1 g) was also restored.

The composition of the coin was changed again in 1962. Mint officials felt that deletion of the tin content would have no adverse effect on the wearing qualities of the coin, whereas, the manufacturing advantages to be gained with the alloy stabilized at 95% copper and 5% zinc would be of much benefit. Congressional authority for this modification is contained in an Act of Congress approved on September 5, 1962.

During the early 1970s, the price of copper rose to a point where the penny almost contained one cent's worth of copper. This led the Mint to test alternate metals, including aluminum and bronze-clad steel. Aluminum was chosen, and in 1973 over 1.5 million such coins were struck (dated 1974) and ready for public release. A few were distributed to members of the US Congress. Subsequently, aluminum was rejected because, among other reasons, it would not show up on X-rays should it be swallowed. About a dozen aluminum cents are believed to still be in the hands of collectors, although they are now considered illegal, and may be subject to seizure by the Secret Service.^{[citation needed]} One aluminum cent was donated to the Smithsonian Institution. Another is in the hands of the family of a deceased U.S. Capitol police officer, and was certified as authentic in 2005.^[1] It is known as the Toven Specimen.

In 1982, the coin's composition changed again to copper-plated zinc. These coins, which are still being produced today, contain 97.6% zinc and 2.4% copper. This coin is identical in size and appearance to the predominantly copper cent issued before 1982, but this modification saves the Government an estimated $25 million in metal costs every year. Pennies made prior to 1982 make a distinctive ringing noise when dropped on a hard surface due to their composition, while post-1982 pennies make a dull thud. The zinc core can be readily seen if the copper plating is abraded or otherwise scraped off. It might be noted that the post-1982 pennies are much more susceptible to corrosion and pitting than those made prior to 1982. Many collectors lament that even perfectly preserved post-1982 pennies protected in Mint sets have begun tarnishing, developing bubbles beneath the copper coating's surface, or even corroding.

[edit] Upcoming changes to the Lincoln cent

The Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 requires that the cent's reverse be redesigned in 2009. This will result in the mintage of four different coins showing scenes from Abraham Lincoln's life in honor of the bicentennial of his birth.

These four scenes include:

birth and early childhood in Kentucky

formative years in Indiana

professional life in Illinois, and

presidency, in Washington, D.C.

In 2009 cents will be issued that have the metallic copper content of cents minted in 1909.

After 2009, yet another redesigned reverse for the Lincoln cent is supposed to be minted; this "shall bear an image emblematic of President Lincoln's preservation of the United States of America as a single and united country," and so will replace the Lincoln Memorial reverse. However, it could be argued that the Lincoln Memorial itself meets the requirements of the Act through its design elements (mainly the 36 columns representing the states at his death and the names of all 48 states when it was constructed), so it is theoretically possible that the Lincoln Memorial reverse could return.

See also: Efforts to eliminate the penny

[edit] Mint errors specific to Lincoln cents

Through mint errors, a number of rare and valuable Lincoln Cents have been produced. Some random errors, such as an off-center strike, slightly increase the value of the coin, and are sought after by niche collectors. However some errors were systemic, and produced a number of coins with the exact same problem in the same year. These have become recognized varieties that are often extremely valuable and sought after by mainstream collectors.

In 1922, no one cent coins were produced by the Philadelphia Mint. However, a small number of Denver Mint worn dies produced at the time, obscured the "D" mint mark, making them appear as if they had been produced in Philadelphia.

There are a few 1943 cents that were produced in copper, as opposed to the steel/zinc composition used that year. Likewise, a few 1944 cents were produced in steel/zinc.

In 1955, a die error caused some cents to get struck with an obverse die which showed doubling in all of the obverse devices, producing a doubling of the date, and to a less noticeable degree, the rest of the obverse. This is known as the 1955 doubled die cent. A slightly different mechanism produced a 1972 Doubled Die cent. Doubled Dies are known in practically every date in the Lincoln cent series, but most are minor, and less impressive compared to the 1955 and 1972 Doubled Die varieties.

In 1990, about 3000 proof cents were struck at the San Francisco Mint without the "S" mint mark, making them appear as if they had been struck at the Philadelphia mint. However, as no proof cents were struck in Philadelphia that year, they are easily distinguishable as errors, and highly valuable.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• US Lincoln Cent by year and type. Histories, photos, and more.
• The Controversy over the Lincoln Penny
• Lincoln Cent Pictures